After major weight loss, the body often holds onto contradictions: a flatter abdomen with loose skin below, slimmer thighs with lingering folds, a smaller clothing size with a silhouette that still feels incomplete.
Patients notice it in denim, in swimwear, and in the way clothing fits across the midsection while the rest of the body feels disconnected.
That tension is exactly why the Fortes Figure was developed.
Dr. Paul Fortes, a double board-certified plastic surgeon, approaches body contouring with a focus on structure, proportion, and restraint. He evaluates how the abdomen meets the waist, how the waist transitions into the buttocks, how the thighs support the hips, and how skin and fat behave after weight loss.
That broader view separates 360-degree liposculpting from standard fat removal and explains why some results look cohesive while others feel pieced together.
The standard conversation around plastic surgery often divides the body into zones. Breasts are treated separately from the abdomen. Liposuction is discussed independently from skin or muscle support. That framework is organized, but limited.
Patients don’t experience their bodies in sections. You see your full silhouette. You notice when one area improves and another still disrupts the balance. A smaller waist can feel unfinished if loose skin remains. A flatter abdomen can feel incomplete if the chest no longer supports the overall shape. Effective body contouring accounts for all of this.
The Fortes figure approach considers the body as a single visual and structural unit. Dr. Fortes evaluates volume, support, skin quality, muscle laxity, and the relationships between regions. He studies how your waist transitions into your hips, how your breasts balance your torso, how your lower abdomen behaves after weight loss, and how subtle adjustments can sharpen your final shape.
This is the difference between isolated correction and a complete plan.
Patients come in after pregnancy, significant weight loss, or both.
While the details vary, the underlying patterns are consistent. Abdominal muscles may be separated. Breast volume may be reduced. Skin may respond differently after stretching to carry extra weight. Some patients have excess skin at the lower abdomen, persistent fullness through the flanks, or laxity that cannot be addressed through exercise alone. The body retains a record of these changes.
The Fortes Figure is not a single procedure. It is a customized combination of body contouring techniques based on the patient’s anatomy.
One patient may need a tummy tuck with muscle repair and targeted liposuction. Another may benefit from the breast augmentation, abdominoplasty, and contour refinement through the waist and thighs. Another may require a breast lift with GalaFLEX support, combined with abdominal contouring. The common factor is judgement. The goal is to treat the body as a whole, not as separate problems.
The abdomen carries significant visual weight, which is why the tummy tuck often serves as a foundational procedure.
A well-performed abdominoplasty can repair muscle separation, remove excess skin, refine the lower abdomen, and restore structure to the midsection. For patients after pregnancy or weight loss, it often becomes the anchor of a broader body contouring plan.
It also addresses concerns that fat reduction alone cannot correct. If the issue is weakened connective tissue, extra skin, or distortion of the abdominal contour, liposuction will not resolve it, but abdominoplasty can. A thoughtful plastic surgeon makes considerations as to where incisions should sit, how the tummy tuck scar will heal, and how the lower contour of your abdomen should look in motion and at rest.A thoughtful surgical plan considers not only correction, but also tummy tuck scar placement, healing, and how the abdomen looks in both movement and rest.
Liposuction remains an important tool in shaping the Fortes Figure, but it is most effective when used within a broader plan.
It can refine the waist, reduce fullness through the flanks, and improve transitions across the torso and thighs by removing targeted fat cells. In some patients, 360-degree liposculpting enhances the full circumference of the body.
However, fat removal alone does not always create a complete result. In patients with significant skin laxity, removing volume without addressing the skin can leave the area looking less structured.
Dr. Fortes uses liposuction to refine shape, not flatten it. The goal is to preserve natural contours while improving proportion.
Pregnancy and weight loss often affect the breasts as much as the abdomen. Volume may decrease, upper pole fullness may diminish, and the breast position may shift. Patients frequently notice that even with an improved waistline, the overall silhouette feels unbalanced.
Breast augmentation is great for restoring volume and improving proportion. In some patients, a breast lift is also necessary to reposition the breast and improve shape.
Incorporating GalaFLEX support, when indicated, can help reinforce internal structure and support long-term positioning.
This is often the moment when patients recognize how significantly the chest influences the balance of the entire body.
The Fortes Figure depends on details that are often overlooked.
Belly button placement, hip contour, residual volume in the flanks, and scar positioning on the lower abdomen all influence the final result. Even subtle asymmetries in the waist can affect how the body appears in clothing.
These are not finishing touches. They are part of the outcome.
Body contouring requires careful planning. Overcorrection can create unnatural results. Undercorrection can leave the body feeling incomplete.
The best outcomes come from precision and restraint.
Patients after significant weight loss often require a different surgical approach.
The changes extend beyond size. Skin elasticity may be reduced. Tissue support may be compromised. Excess skin may remain along the abdomen, thighs, or torso.
In these cases, body contouring focuses on restoring structure and continuity rather than simply removing fat.
Patients who have reached a stable weight and maintained it are typically the best candidates. Surgery refines shape, but does not replace the biology of skin or eliminate the need for realistic expectations.
Patients should have a clear understanding of what surgery involves.
This includes risks, recovery, and the possibility of complications such as infection, fluid accumulation, or delayed healing. Some patients will require drainage tubes or temporary activity restrictions.
Preparation is equally important. Patients may need to stop smoking, adjust medications, and stabilize underlying health conditions before surgery.
Recovery requires time and patience. Swelling, positioning, and gradual healing are all part of the process.
Clear communication and planning are essential.
The Fortes Figure treats the body as a cohesive structure rather than a collection of isolated concerns.
Each area influences the next. The chest affects the waist. The waist affects the hips. The abdomen affects how the torso is perceived.
Dr. Fortes applies this perspective to create results that feel balanced and complete.
The approach may include breast augmentation, a breast lift with GalaFLEX when indicated, a tummy tuck, liposuction, and additional refinements tailored to the individual.
For many patients, the goal is not a smaller number or a single corrected area, but a result that feels resolved.
Dr. Paul F. Fortes, a distinguished, dual-board-certified plastic surgeon based in Houston, TX, offers an elite standard of care defined by a rare blend of artistic sensibility and scientific rigor. Dr. Fortes believes superior aesthetic results are never "off the rack," but are meticulously customized and individually crafted to meet each patient’s unique vision. He approaches every procedure with the precision of an artisan, ensuring the safest, most harmonious, and exquisitely detailed outcomes that stand apart from the ordinary.
Trusting your aesthetic goals to Dr. Fortes means placing your care in the hands of a provider with impeccable credentials. A graduate of Rice University (Magna Cum Laude) and an inductee of the exclusive Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, he completed an extensive eight-year surgical residency, including three years of specialized plastic surgery training at the prestigious Northwestern Medical Center in Chicago. Recognized for over a decade as a Texas Super Doctor, Dr. Fortes affirms his position as a preeminent leader, solidifying him as THE trusted expert for those seeking truly transformative, beautiful, and enduring results.
